STAND. COM. REP. NO.  382

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   H.B. No. 30

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on International Affairs and Economic Development & Business Concerns, to which was referred H.B. No. 30 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to protect Hawaii's interests in international trade agreements by:

 

(1)  Requiring legislative consent prior to binding the State to an international trade agreement;

 

(2)  Creating legislative points of contact to serve as liaisons between the Legislature, the Governor, and the federal government on trade-related matters;

 

(3)  Creating an Office of Trade Enforcement to monitor, analyze, and assess trade; and

 

(4)  Creating a Citizens' Commission on Globalization to make policy recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation, and the United States trade negotiators.

 


     Public Citizen and the Hawaii Government Employees Association testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism supported the intent of the measure.  The Department of the Attorney General submitted comments.

 

     Your Committees have amended this bill by deleting its contents and replacing it with language that:

 

(1)  Establishes the Committee to Consider International Trade Agreement Approvals (Committee); and

 

(2)  Prohibits the Governor from entering into any trade agreement without approval of:

 

(A)  The Legislature through concurrent resolution adopted by a majority vote of the Senate and House of Representatives; or

 

(B)  The Committee, when the Legislature is not in session.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on International Affairs and Economic Development & Business Concerns that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 30, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 30, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on International Affairs and Economic Development & Business Concerns,

 

 

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair

 

____________________________

RIDA T.R. CABANILLA, Chair